Chicago's MK the Restaurant used an English tradition as inspiration for this molasses-date dessert with honey-toffee sauce. Buttery toffee originated in England, but a Robinson, Illinois, company named Heath launched an empire when it began making toffee commercially in 1914.

A dip in melted chocolate dresses up jam-filled Santa's Midnight Cookies, a popular treat at Dinkel's Bakery in Chicago. In our Key Lime Spritz cookies, lime juice gives new-American flavor to old-world butter spritz (the name derives from the German word spritzen, which means "to squirt").

The crispness of fried wontons and the bite of wasabi alongside cooked tuna and greens create the flair in Sesame Seed-Crusted Tuna Appetizer, featured at Entourage on American Lane in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Another Entourage on American Lane specialty: Indian Summer Cocktail, a beautiful green drink with a nice balance of liqueurs and fruit juice.

Coat lean pork tenderloin with mustard and herbs for easy-to-prepare Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Red Currant Sauce. We like it with the Browned Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Feta also pictured on the plate.

Tartar sauce gets a mango upgrade for fried walleye at Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, Minnesota. The exotic, yellow-orange mango adds beautiful color, plus lots of Vitamins A and C. Serve the state fish with the state grain: wild rice.

This recipe comes from the Poplar Creek Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast on the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, Minnesota. The traditional big pancake has been adapted into a lighter version: puffed pancakes.

These butter cookies, which have a crumbly texture, are named for the French word for sand. The recipe comes from Julee Rosso, owner of the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, and author of the Silver Palate Cookbook.

Midwest Living Creative Director Geri Boesen credits her mother-in-law, Patsy, for creating this easy sausage and-cheese brunch recipe, a popular food at family holiday gatherings. "It's nice because you can make it the day ahead and put it in the fridge overnight," Geri says.

Bring all-time favorite cherry pie into the holidays. Although we tested it with refrigerated piecrust, you can use your homemade crust, if you like. The filling gets a tasty boost from cinnamon and allspice.